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Parametric Thinking Cap

This is what Saturday night at 11:30pm looks like in 2nd-Yr Studio. As you can see, 4 out of 4 students are not smiling.

While my classmates were working hard on architecture, I was trying to decide what to do for "Parametric Realizations" class.

From the syllabus by Mark Bearak and Brigette Borders: Parametric modelers are commonly used in the development of digital architectural models, but they are rarely taken to the point of becoming physical realities. This course will look at the process of generating parametric algorithms then turning those models into physical realities. Students will work in groups to design a product that will be the physical realization of their scripted protocol.

I was inspired by the dried leaves of a tomatillo plant, and made some models out of wire and hot glue. Perhaps it would be interesting to make a chandelier or some kind of lighting fixture from this:

With my group members, we modeled a more simplified version of this organic "bud" form using Grasshopper and Rhino:

Then we unrolled the surface to make a trial paper model of our "lamp":

This first iteration resulted in something that was more like a parametric thinking cap:

Or a bionic knee cap:

Hopefully, this design will somehow turn into a lighting fixture...

*Noted from this study: minimize resulting double-curved surfaces when connecting the unrolled surface panels; need to design tabs and perforation patterns; design for fabrication will probably be with sheet aluminum or acrylic

About this Blog

This is a journal of my adventures at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) as I pursue my M.Arch degree.
It includes images of my projects, classmates' work, some thoughts, and grad-student daily life.